Nate Geinzer, a 12-year resident of the city, conditionally accepted the job in a Friday email to a Michigan Municipal League recruiter and will begin negotiating a contract with the city, more than likely this week.

“I’m excited to get started,” Geinzer said Monday. “There’s a lot going on. I’m looking forward to working with everybody.

The Brighton City Council in August hired the MML to conduct a nationwide search to replace former City Manager Dana Foster, who left his job Dec. 18. Geinzer, currently assistant to the city manager of Farmington Hills, made the final six candidates and was one of two favorites for the job before 2015 came to a close.

Council members reviewed the resumes of five more candidates Jan. 7 and selected Geinzer the same day, 4 votes to 1 with one abstention. Councilman Jim Bohn did not believe Geinzer was qualified for the job; Councilwoman Shanda Willis did not participate in the interviews.

Mayor Jim Muzzin visited Farmington Hills and other communities before deciding on Geinzer for the job, which pays between $90,000 and $120,000 a year. Geinzer currently earns more than $70,000 a year.

“I believe Mr. Geinzer is the right candidate for the position of city manager for the city of Brighton,” Muzzin said Monday. “Hopefully we can complete the background check and negotiate a contract in a short timeframe so we can continue to move forward with the progress of the city of Brighton.”

The MML will verify Geinzer’s work history, education, and other personal and professional information as part of its background investigation, which is expected to last a week or two.

The council directed city attorney Paul Burns and city labor attorney Dennis Grabian to negotiate a contract with Geinzer.

Geinzer and his wife, Erin, and their three children have lived in Brighton since 2004. He is a 1997 graduate of Pinckney Community High School and earned a master's degree in public administration from Eastern Michigan University in 2006.

Geinzer is a former city of Brighton intern and a former part-time city community development employee. He worked for nearly a year-and-a-half with Foster.

"I’m going to get two hours of my life back a day," Geinzer said, referring to his commute to Farmington Hills. "It’s going to give me an opportunity to invest more time in the community and my family and my personal well-being."

Contact Livingston County Daily business reporter Noe Hernandez at 517-552-2854 or nhernandez@livingstondaily.com. Follow him on Twitter @sayyesnoe.